Reception Weekly Newsletter

Term: Summer 1 Date 29.04.13

Yippee!!! Both Aspen and Fern class managed to achieve over the 95% attendance for this week. Aspen class’ attendance has been the lowest in the school for most of the year. Last week we saw a significant improvement. Let’s see if we can keep it up and reach over 96%!!!!

Our topic this term is ‘Story land’. We are focussing on fantasy stories and stories from different cultures. Following on from last week’s story, ‘Handa’s Surprise’, this week we will be basing new skills around the story, ‘Handa’s Hen’.

Your child will be taking part in the following activities within the seven areas of development (activities are subject to change, depending on the children’s interests; however, the skills remain the same):


Personal, Social and Emotional Development.
Discuss where the story ‘Handa’s Hen’ is set. We will be continuing to discuss differences between Africa and England.

Communication and Language
Sharing the story ‘Handa’s Hen’. Where do they think the story is set? Why? How is it different to ‘Handa’s Surprise’? We will be encouraging children to retell the story using different props.

Physical
Continue to explore our new outside area and reinforcing the rules.
Developing fine manipulative skills through making fruit salad.

Literacy
The children need to be bringing in their reading books daily. We praise the children who regularly read at home to an adult and have a reward system in place.
Writing our names encouraging correct pencil grip.
We will be continuing our daily Read Write Inc sessions.
Writing instructions to make a fruit salad.

Maths
Exploring ‘Ten Town’ encouraging correct number formation.
Singing number songs.
Sharing fruit out equally – looking at doubling and halving.
Simple addition and subtraction calculations using the animals from the story, ‘Handa’s Hen’.

Understanding of the World

Year 3 will be sharing stories and teaching the younger children about road safety. We look forward to Rowan class joining us Monday afternoon.

Expressive Arts and Design
Music express
Enjoying our daily dance warm up to the ‘5 a day’ fitness programme.
Role play – green grocers shop.
Fruit printings.
Creating a large collage outside.
Making African masks.

Messages:
Please follow Broadford on facebook (remember to press the ‘like’ button) and twitter. We update the Early Years blog regularly with photos and information.
If you have any cardboard tubes, we would be most grateful for them.
Show and tell this week will be on Friday. Children may bring in something related to Handa’s Hen or a different country to talk about.
Our ‘Stay and Play’ session for parents and guardians will be on the 1st May. We will be having two sessions. Either come to the morning sessions at 10.30 until 11.30 or the afternoon session at 2.30 – 3.15. Siblings welcome to come and join in the fun.

Ways to help at home:
Sharing books to encourage story language and imagination.
Playing letters and sounds phase 2 and phase 3 games on the computer.
During play working out simple addition and subtraction calculations.

Homework this half term is ‘Story Land’. Children can either produce a poster about their favourite books; this may be a favourite story or an information book. Alternatively, the children could work on producing their own story demonstrating their great writing skills and imagination. Homework will need to be returned by the end of this half term.